Chapter 695
On the way back, Khloe’s stomach churned violently, and she kept dry-heaving. The adrenaline from the earlier ordeal had finally caught up with her body. Cold sweat drenched her, and every time she closed her eyes, the image of the bus exploding flashed before her.
A gnawing sense of dread tightened in her chest. Regret pierced her like a blade-she had left Nick behind.
“Lenny… please, let’s go back…” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Lenny’s mind was a storm of anxiety as well. He worried for Nick’s safety, but they themselves were still in danger. Those terrorists could very well pursue them at any moment. For Khloe’s sake, his first priority had to be getting her to a safe place.
“Madam, please don’t worry. Sir will be fine, I promise!” Lenny said firmly.
There was no sign he intended to slow down. On the contrary, he pressed the accelerator even harder, racing along the road.
Khloe’s phone had already died. Communication in Naraida was slow, and the police were unreliable precisely why this criminal organization could act so brazenly here. She had sent urgent messages to Henry and Ralph earlier, yet Hours had passed, and only Nick’s people had arrived.
Despair gnawed at her chest. Rationally, she knew returning now would be unwise, but thoughts of Nick risking his life to save her made calmness impossible.
Even Ryan, restrained in the car, could not help but try to console her as he saw her weeping uncontrollably. “I believe in Noah and Nick… good people are always protected… let’s just get out of here first.”
The car raced onward. Khloe’s stomach rebelled violently, her grief nearly overwhelming her, threatening to break her.
Then, halfway along the road, a convoy of police vehicles and luxury cars blocked their path.
Ralph stepped out. Upon receiving Khloe’s message, he had immediately contacted the authorities. In the city, Ralph’s connections made him far more effective-local police were slow to respond to criminal organizations, and formal rescue efforts required multiple approvals.
Fortunately, Khloe had briefed him on the situation. Ralph had dropped everything and personally led a team to the area.
Khloe’s messages had cut off at the hotel near the scenic area. Ralph had traced the bus’s route based on information from the hotel front desk. But the bus had deviated, winding through desolate outskirts and forcing them to take a longer path.
“Khloe!” Ralph called as he reached the vehicle.
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Chapter 695
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Lenny immediately unlocked the doors, helping Khloe out. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him, hope surging through her. She practically lunged at the car door. “Ralph! You’re here! Thank God! Go-go save Nick!”
“What happened to Nick?” Ralph asked, confused.
Before Khloe could answer, her body went slack, and she collapsed.
Lenny caught her immediately, while the others quickly checked her condition. She had fainted from sheer emotional shock, but her body was otherwise unharmed.
Lenny gently returned her to the car and explained the situation to Ralph. He nodded, instructing his team to escort Khloe and Lenny back for medical attention while he led a team to Nick’s location.
But before Ralph’s convoy even approached the bus, a series of violent explosions erupted in the distance. Black smoke billowed into the sky, twisting and churning like a dark storm.
Ralph’s heart leapt. By the time his team arrived, the bus had already been engulfed in flames. The entire vehicle lay in ruins. If Nick had still been inside… there would be nothing left of him.
Ralph leapt from his car, but before he could take more than a few steps, someone blocked his path.
“Ralph… you should retreat. It’s too dangerous here. Leave it to the professionals.”
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